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GAZA—Israel resumed its heavy bombardment of Gaza on Tuesday and warned that Hamas would “pay the price” after the Islamic militant group rejected an Egyptian truce plan and instead unleashed more rocket barrages at the Jewish state.

Late Tuesday, the military urged tens of thousands of residents of northern and eastern Gaza to leave their homes by Wednesday morning, presumably a prelude to air strikes there.

Rocket fire killed an Israeli man Tuesday, the country’s first fatality in eight days of fighting. In Gaza, 197 people have been killed and close to 1,500 wounded so far, Palestinian officials said, making it the deadliest Israel-Hamas confrontation in just over five years.

The Egyptian proposal, initially accepted by Israel, had been the first attempt to end the fighting.

It unravelled in less than a day. Hamas does not consider Egypt’s current rulers — who deposed a Hamas-friendly government in Cairo a year ago — to be fair brokers.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas if it did not agree to the cease-fire, Israeli forces would intensify their attacks.(Newsy)

Hamas believes it has little to lose by continuing to fight, while a truce on unfavourable terms could further weaken its grip on the Gaza Strip, a territory it seized in 2007. Underscoring that position, Gaza militants fired more than 120 rockets and mortar rounds at Israel on Tuesday, during what Egypt had hoped would be a period of de-escalation.

A particularly heavy barrage came around dusk, with more than 40 rockets hitting Israel in just a few minutes, including one that fell on an empty school. An Israeli man in his 30s was killed near the Gaza border when he was delivering food to soldiers.

In an evening address aired live on television, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that after Hamas’ rejection of the truce, Israel had “no choice” but to respond more forcefully.

“Hamas chose to continue fighting and will pay the price for that decision,” he said. “When there is no ceasefire, our answer is fire.”

After holding its fire for six hours, the Israeli air force resumed its heavy bombardment of Gaza, launching 33 strikes from midafternoon, the military said. In all, Israeli aircraft have struck close to 1,700 times since July 8, while Gaza militants have fired more than 1,200 rockets at Israel.

Netanyahu said Israel would have liked to see a diplomatic solution, but would keep attacking until rocket fire stops and Hamas’ military capabilities are diminished. The Israeli leader said he would “widen and increase” the campaign against Hamas, but it remains unclear if that will include a ground offensive.

Israel has warned it might send troops into Gaza and has massed thousands of soldiers on the border. However, entering Gaza would likely drive up casualties on both sides. Israel has hesitated in the past to embark on ground operations for fear of getting entangled in the densely populated territory of 1.7 million.

Palestinian Suma Abu Mahsen, 7, stands by a damaged wall of a house on Tuesday, following an overnight Israeli missile strike in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. (Lefteris Pitarakis / AP)

Hamas officials Tuesday rejected the current Egyptian plan as is, noting they weren’t consulted by Cairo. Some portrayed the truce offer as an ultimatum presented to Hamas by Israel and Egypt.

The officials said the Egyptian plan offered no tangible achievements, particularly on easing the border blockade that has been enforced by Israel and Egypt to varying degrees since 2007. Egypt tightened the closure in the past year by shutting down smuggling tunnels that were crucial for Gaza’s economy, pushing Hamas into a severe financial crisis.

“The siege on Gaza must be broken, and the people of Gaza should live freely like other people of the world,” Moussa Abu Marzouk, a top Hamas official, told the Lebanese TV channel Al-Mayadeen. “There should be a new equation so that we will not have a war on Gaza every two years.”

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